World Rapid and Blitz Championships - Live!

Day 2 - Blitz

One of the most anticipated events in the chess calendar, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, is around the corner. The open and women’s championships that have been held concurrently since 2016 will take place on December 25-31 in Warsaw, Poland, at the PGE Narodowy Stadium. Traditionally, the participants will fight not only for titles and glory but also for substantial prize money. (See full regulations: Open | Women’s).

The reigning champion in all three formats (classical, rapid and blitz), Magnus Carlsen, is heading into the event as a clear favourite, but his old and new rivals are eager to challenge his supremacy. Can Magnus repeat his triumph of 2014 and 2019 and win a double-crown?

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Live games and commentary

Open

Women’s

Power openings: Grünfeld Defence Volume 1 and 2

You are looking for an active answer to 1.d4? Then the Grünfeld Indian is an excellent choice! Not by chance this opening is one of the main weapons of some top grandmasters!

Commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili and IM Lawrence Trent

Open

Rapid - 13 rounds with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10-second increments per move
- December 26: Rounds 1-5
- December 27: Rounds 6-9
- December 28: Rounds 10-13
Blitz - 21 rounds with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments per move
- December 29: Rounds 1-12
- December 30: Rounds 13-21

Women’s

Rapid - 11 rounds with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10-second increments per move
- December 26: Rounds 1-4
- December 27: Rounds 5-8
- December 28: Rounds 9-11
Blitz - 17 rounds with a time control of 3 minutes plus 2-second increments per move
- December 29: Rounds 1-9
- December 30: Rounds 10-17

In both sections, rounds kick off daily at 15.00 CET, except on December 30 when the final day of blitz will begin one hour earlier, at 14.00 CET.